Why Willie Horton But Not Norm Cash?

[DoubleX]

Is there a reason why the Tigers retired Willie Horton's number but not Norm Cash's? It seems like if the team is going to go to that level of a player, Norm Cash would certainly be deserving, and unlike Horton, be played his entire career in Detroit.

Also, is Harry Heilmann honored at all at Comerica Park?

[leecemark]

--I think race had alot to do with it. Detroit is a very Afro-American city (and PC thinking may have required it anyway) and Willie Horton is the best black Tiger. When they were picking who got the statues at Comerica I imagine having some minority representation was a concern (Horton is the only non-white statue and putting one up and not retiring his number would have been odd - although I don't know the timeline on the retirement). On a less controversial note, Horton is (or was) a member of the Tigers front office, while Cash drifted away from the game (not to mention died) after he retired.

[DoubleX]

I should correct a mistake I made earlier - Cash did not spend his entire career with the Tigers.

[Gee Walker]

Willie Horton was raised in Detroit - in a huge family. He was famous as a high-school player before he signed with the Tigers, and hit a massive HR during the All-City game at Tiger Stadium. During the 1967 riots Willie went out into his community - into the fires - and tried to get everyone to calm down. The 1968 championship was looked on at the time as a healing for the wounds suffered in the riot - and Willie was constantly on the news for community work. For what it was worth, he was the most prominent black athlete (and possibly most prominent black person) in the city at the time.

He is almost certainly the best hometown kid to ever play with the Tigers - Charlie Gehringer came from a town that's fairly close to Detroit, but it was definitely out in the country back in 1903.

If statues were to be put up based only on their greatness as players, Crawford and Heilmann deserve statues. Willie got his for his overall contributions to the game and to the city...

[DoubleX]

If statues were to be put up based only on their greatness as players, Crawford and Heilmann deserve statues. Willie got his for his overall contributions to the game and to the city...

Crawford and Heilmann don't have statutes? Are their names acknowledged on the OF wall?

[Captain Cold Nose]

Crawford and Heilmann don't have statutes? Are their names acknowledged on the OF wall?
They are, along with Heinie Manush.
As Gee Walker said, Horton's statue has a lot to do with the very fact he is a hometown product who has given a lot to the community beyond what he did on the diamond.
Kirk Gibson, who is from suburban Detroit (Waterford) may eventually be honored in such a manner. Gehringer was from Fowlerville, a little over halfway between Detroit and the capital of Lansing, and still very much rural. He's buried in Southfield, just north of Detroit.

[leecemark]

--XX, Tiger Stadium didn't have anything resembling the Yankee Stadium Monument Park. The statues were new to Comerica, so some of the older stars got short shift.

[skeletor]

Is there a reason why the Tigers retired Willie Horton's number but not Norm Cash's? It seems like if the team is going to go to that level of a player, Norm Cash would certainly be deserving, and unlike Horton, be played his entire career in Detroit.

Also, is Harry Heilmann honored at all at Comerica Park?

naw, don't think ' race ' has anything to do with it..Horton could have been
white or asian, and still would have been a great player..and some..

Cash started his career with the White Sox, appeared briefly in the '59
series..and was dealt to the Indians ..who in turn traded him to Detroit,
during spring training , 1960...a monster heist by GM Jim Campbell, Cash
spent 14 seasons with the bengals, before being released in late 1974..

Cash pretty faded away from baseball...where Horton, being a home town
boy, played until he was traded to Texas...to make room for Steve Kemp.

Willie continued to bounce from club to club, before retiring..but has done
time as ML coach for a few teams, and kept his ties with the Detroit
community and the ball club as well..over the years.....That certainly could
have been a factor in his selection..plus he was a huge favorite of PIZZA
MIKE...

Of course, there are many players in Detroit's grand baseball history, that
certainly deserve being honored...at COPA....
;)

[DoubleX]

--XX, Tiger Stadium didn't have anything resembling the Yankee Stadium Monument Park. The statues were new to Comerica, so some of the older stars got short shift.

I know and I think the statutes are a wonderful touch. I do remember seeing the names and numbers (for players that had them) acknowledged at Tigers Stadium. The Tigers have a very rich history and I'm glad they do a pretty good job of acknowledging it. Some teams do a piss poor job and it's very unfortunate (the A's are the first to come to mind, and I don't buy into the whole relocation thing, since the Giants and Dodgers do pretty good jobs of tributing their New York/Brooklyn stars). Still, Sam Crawford at least seems to be deserving of a statue. It would be nice to see Heilmann get some more recognition too since he's already pretty overlooked.

[DoubleX]

Honoring Horton because of his community ties, his post-career organizational ties, as well as the race factor as Mark mentioned, make sense. But purely as a baseball player, who is regarded as better in Tigers history, Cash or Horton? I'm guessing that regardless of who is perceived a better, Horton is more beloved.

[Gee Walker]

Norm Cash had a reputation - deserved, I think - for being a comedian. Most people remember the incident where Cash brought a table leg to bat against Nolan Ryan during his no-hitter against the Tigers.

I remember being at a game in the late '60's - we had great seats just behind home plate. Cash was bantering after every pitch when he was at bat. Nothing nasty or obscene, just a lot of light-hearted joking. A lot of it was legitimately funny. He probably did it to loosen himself up.

Players with reputations as cut-ups - Jay Johnstone, Bill Lee, and Steve Sax come to mind - don't seem to get anywhere near as much respect from the press that serious players do.

Or that grouchy players do, for that matter.